Brake-shaft bracket.



W. S. ATWOOD.

BRAKE SHAFT BRACKET.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 9. 1914.

Patented May 30, 1916.

WILLIAM s. rwoon, or MoNTnEAnoUEBno, CANADA.

BRAKE-SHAFT BRACKET.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 30, 1916.

Application filed November 9, 1914. Serial No. 871,052.

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, WILLIAM S. A'rwooo, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and resident of the city of Montreal, in the Province of Quebec and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Shaft Brackets, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in brake shaft brackets, and the object of the invention is to provide a bracket particularly adapted for attachment to the channel end sills at present in general use.

A further object is to provide a bracket having top and bottom drum seats in the form of circular apertures.

The device consists essentially of a single suitably ribbed casting in the form of a square or rectangular frame adapted to be attached under the 'end sill of a car, this frame is provided at top and bottom with circular apertures in which a chain drum is journaled.

In the drawings'which illustrate the invention:Figure 1 is a front elevation of the bracket in position on an end sill. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bracket. Fig. 3 is a plan view. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a slightly modified form.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 5 designates the end sill of a car formed of a channel member arranged with its flanges away from the body of the car in the usual manner.

The bracket consists of top and bottom plates 6 and 7 connected by vertical side plates 8 and forming a rectangular frame which is stiffened by integral ribs 9 and 10 formed on the front and back edges of the frame. The front flange 9 is preferably of uniform width, while the back flange 10 may be widened at the top as shown, so as to provide additional strength in a lateral direction and support the extended top plate 6 of the frame. The top plate extends a suitable distance rearwardly from the back flange 10 so as to project under the end sill. This rearwardly extending portion of the top plate is stiffened by webs 11 extending from the top to the bottom plates and virtually forming rearward extensions of the side plate 8. The top plate may if desired be provided with a shallow flange or rib 12 extending from side to side and adapted to bear against the edge of the end sill channel flange, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. The top and bottom plates 6 and 7 are provided with suitable bosses 13 surrounding the apertures 14 provided for the reception of the brake chain drum 15.

It will be noted that the chain drum 15 is provided with top and bottom flanges 16 for the retention of the chain. The drum must be so formed that when lifted to bring its upper flange into engagement with the top plate of the bracket the bottom of the drum will be drawn clear out of the aperture 14 in the lower plate so that the drum may be removed from the bracket. In order to hold the drum against riding up in the bracket sufficiently to disengage its lower end from the bracket a pin 17 is passed through the drum below the bottom plate 7, and serves to hold the bottom flange of the drum down on the bottom plate. The drum may be provided at any suitable point with 2. lug 18, or

other suitable means for the attachment of the brake chain.

The form shown in Fig. 4 diflers from that shown in the preceding figures only in that the rearward extension of top and side plates is omitted so that the frame itself is secured under the end sill in place of below, but beyond the sill. This form may be utilized only when it is permissible to notch the flanges of the end sill channel for the passage of the brake shaft.

The advantages of this device will be readily appreciated by railwaymen. The drum when inserted in the bracket is completely inclosed at top and bottom by the bracket. When attaching to either new or old cars the bracket and drum may be handled as one piece. Should a chain drum become broken, or another type of drum adopted, the replacement may be effected in a minimum of time and without in any way weakening thebracket. The present strucdrum length, and members integral with ture may be an ordinary casting,- thus elimiand connecting said drum supporting parts nating the expense of malleable casting. spaced apart sufficiently for inclination of Having thus described my invention, the drum during insertion. what I claim is y In witness whereof, I have hereunto set 15 A brake shaft bracket forv use with a chain my hand, in the presence of two witnesses.

drum having a rednced'-..bearing portion at WILLIAM S. ATWOOD. each end; comprising a one-piece structure Witnesses: having portions apertured to fit the drnm .S, ALLEN,

10 bearings, and spaced apart Tess than the My MbRELA N-D;

Copies of this patent may be obtained forfiiwcents" each, Bya'd'fliessing the Commissioner of Patents,

' wlqhingtbn nf. C." 

